If there is one single contemporary video game genre that maintains its relevance no matter how heated discussions about it might get, it’s definitely that of looter-shooters. Here, we’re talking about those games which take elements from classic action-RPG hack ‘n’ slash releases and mash them together with some type of core shooter gameplay mechanics. We’re talking about the likes of Borderlands, Destiny, The Division, and all other similar franchises. What is the central appeal of one such game, and what is it that makes one good?

One could most certainly argue that Borderlands 2 represents the absolute high note in this amalgam of genres. Colourful, wacky, ridiculously satisfying, and with just the right amount of classic RPG DNA in its veins, Borderlands 2 has proven time and again just what an astonishing experience it is by staying in the limelight for close to seven years now. Most people will tell you that they positively adore the thing, and it’s not hard to see why.

Not only does the game feature quick, visceral gameplay peppered with number-popping and skill-juggling, but it’s also got a practically infinite amount of loot spewing out of enemy corpses. Itemisation is key in any given looter-shooter, and Borderlands 2 has arguably handled it the best. Even the appearance of a normal item is often rather satisfying, it being discharged alongside copious amounts of blood and gore, but when rare, legendary, and - good lord - Seraph items come into play, the game devolves into a veritable dopamine rush.

This isn’t all that Borderlands 2 has got going for it, but it’s one of the key things that people enjoy across the board - drop rates be damned. Compared to most other games we’ll touch upon here, Borderlands 2 also features the most amount of RPG in it, following classic itemisation rules, enemy naming schemes, and other assorted thingamajigs, all of which combine to create a game unlike any other. A prototypical looter-shooter, if you will.

Destiny 2 is Borderlands’ sleeker, more pimped-up cousin. Taking cues from all of Bungie’s previous repertoire, but also injecting what they’ve learned from the likes of Borderlands, Destiny 2 offers unprecedented gunplay and an incredible itemisation system that rivals that of Borderlands 2, albeit in a different way. To be precise - fashion matters a fair bit in Destiny 2, and virtually every single item in the game, be it a piece of armour or a firearm, looks amazing, and it’s there for it to be shown off. This counts doubly so for endgame equipment, with Destiny 2 veering heavily into fantasy territory with some of its items.

Featuring a heavier focus on satisfying gunplay, Destiny 2 doesn’t quite fill the same niche as Borderlands 2 did, though they certainly can go toe-to-toe in some aspects. By veering further into core shooter territory, however, Bungie offers a marked improvement in moment-to-moment gameplay, while giving up some of the RPG DNA that Borderlands 2 works so very hard to retain.

The cross-section of Destiny 2 and Borderlands 2 lies in itemisation, but drawing upon what we know from how items work in games, itemisation cannot be satisfying if said items are poorly balanced against the rest of the game, and with that we come to an interesting idea that will best be explored by discussing the third obvious choice for contemporary looter-shooters -  The Division (2).

Some might recall that The Division received some criticism on launch for its enemies being far too bullet-spongy. It being a Tom Clancy title - which implies a certain amount of tacticoolness - left people with a sour taste in their mouth. What good is an AR-15 if it takes three magazines to down a high-level crook, after all? The Division faced a problem unlike those that either Borderlands 2 or Destiny 2 faced, courtesy of it being a modern-day game with modern-day weaponry and modern-day enemies. While it can be sensible for a twelve-foot bruiser alien monstrosity to take seven shotgun shells to the face, same cannot be said for a simple inmate. Problems with game balance were tackled head-on and fixed quickly, eventually making for a phenomenal - if slightly unrealistic - looter-shooter, but here we can identify the crux of the issue: any given looter-shooter must strike a careful balance between its RPG functionality and shooter gameplay mechanics.

Of course, this is obvious on its own, but quantifying the problem in practice is not easy. As popular as ARPGs might be, it is no secret that shooter games with social elements of most kinds draw a comparatively larger following. On the other hand, classic single-player shooters of the yesteryear hold only limited appeal in the contemporary video game market. In many cases, players simply aren’t looking for an experience to glide through - they want leveling systems, unlockables, a clever itemisation feature, and all those other things we’ve come to know and expect from the likes of games discussed above.

In truth, perhaps we can conclude by saying that a good looter-shooter is that which achieves popular appeal. Not that which sells well, mind, but rather that which remains on top years after it’s been launched. Borderlands 2 comes to mind yet once more, and as for the rest - we’ll see in a few years’ time.